Backpacking is primarily an aerobic activity, which means that your body uses oxygen as fuel and is the best type of exercise for burning calories. When you are carrying a heavy pack up a mountain trail, backpacking becomes an anaerobic exercise, which means that your body is using stored energy as fuel. Anaerobic exercise is also a good way for you to burn calories.
Backpacker Body Weight
The number of calories you burn during backpacking depends on your body weight. For example, a 200-pound person backpacking for one hour will burn approximately 637 calories, the Mayo Clinic calculates. A 160-pound person, meanwhile, will burn approximately 511 calories during one hour of backpacking.
Backpacking Intensity
The number of calories burned during your backpacking trip also depends upon the intensity of the hike, which can include your speed of movement, the heaviness of your pack and the incline at which you're hiking. A 130-pound person will burn approximately 590 calories in one hour of heavy backpacking, the Changing Shape website reports. The same person will only burn approximately 295 calories in one hour of light backpacking.
Determine Backpacking Calorie Burn
You can determine how many calories you will burn for one hour of backpacking by first determining your body weight. Next, determine the intensity of your backpacking experience. For the final step, consult a calorie-burning calculator chart, such as Changing Shape's, which includes backpacking.
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